Group Think, Transactive Memory, and Surveillance

Group Think is an odd theory. It refers to when groups are overly cohesive, in the sense that they are hesitant to critique each others weak ideas. Because they are thinking too much about the group and not enough about the task at hand, the results produced are often lacking. The group inadequately analyzes the problem, causing them to limit their solutions. Whenever i think of issues like this one in relation to surveillance, it reminds me of technological dystopias and movies like Equilibrium and the Matrix. In Equilibrium, government groups come up with the solution to eliminate emotion in order to bring peace to the nations. Ideas that come from group think are often smart, but it is usually very easy to spot the problems.
I hope that most of our governmental decisions are produced using transactive memory. Groups that use transactive memory feed off of each other by triggering each others good ideas. They are able to call upon more information in order to form a solution. This makes their solutions better suited for the initial problem. These groups tend to be more dynamic. In terms of surveillance, our government has probably come up with many ways to watch us, without us feeling like were being watched. Though this point can be argued, they have to respect certain lines of privacy and have complied to doing so.

Experian Problems (Fan, please respond)

After answering the identity security questions, I got this message:

For security reasons, we are unable to provide immediate access to your personal credit report. However, within 24 business hours we will mail you a letter with a special Report Number and a link so that you may return to our site to view your report instantly. To continue your order, select "Yes" below. If you select "No" you will need to call 1 877 FACTACT (1 877 322 8228) to order your report for delivery by U.S. mail, or request your report in writing using the request form at www.annualcreditreport.com.

What should I do?

Groupthink/Transactive Memory + Gaming

Group think is when a group of people work together, collectively towards one common goal – but with minimum conflict. This can be beneficial to a group because when all members are aware of the way the work within the group in order to be more effective, the overall out come can be better than one person working, or several people working without concern for others. However, when everyone is trying to get along – and work together, there can be serious retardations in the progress of the group in terms or originality and “out of the box” thinking. If everyone is trying to get along, then they will all try to stay within one range to keep everyone happy, this approach with limit the amount of conflict, but prove very ineffective for coming up with new, innovative techniques. Because no one is really explaining why they think what the think, further developments in each thought will be hindered by a lack of communication. If one were to take the ideas of someone else, and modify them, then real progress would be possible. In something like group think, the “to each his own” mentality will not open its self to combined thoughts and original solutions.
Transactive memory is a useful process where each person in the group is kind of responsible for remembering, and mastering their own area. Though disadvantages can come out of this, I believe this is more a positive, helpful technique than a harmful one.
Both these techniques are obvious in the gaming world. In order to work as a team, in person or virtually, people must compensate and compromise. Using both transactive memory and group think, people are able to collaborate effectively, and quickly, in order to achieve what ever it is they are working towards.

This Friday

Hi, all:

For this week, please bring your writing on the group think and transactive memory to the class, we will go through that since we didn't manage to do that last week. Besides, please go to blackboard and write down all the scores you've achieved up till now and bring it to me, I'll work with each of you to see how we could improve your final score based on that.

Thank you!

Fan

groupthink/transactive memory

Group think is suppose to allow a groups of individuals to work together to reach a common goal without conflict--however, when too many people in a group start to think alike to reach consensus, they may discount opposing views. For the world of gaming, group think can be benefit because people work/play together on game to develop and improve it to win. However, this does not allow room for an individual to progress on his or her own and may actually hamper the development new strategies to win.

With transactive memory, the idea is that people have certain pieces of information which they can recall on their own. Working as a group, each member is to know each others specific knowledge and apply it within some context to accomplish a common goal. With gaming, you can have certain players do certain things to win the game.

Assignment 3

When is this due?

Problems with Experian

Hey,
For the past two days, i've been repeatedly trying to do the Credit Report assignment and each time, have received an error message. After filling out the initial form and selecting Experian, they say they cannot access the report at this time and to try again later. I was wondering if anyone else had encountered this error message?
Thanks

Instructions for assignment 3

The goal of this assignment is to obtain a copy of your credit report, examine the information in the report for errors. This assignment requires you to navigate through the websites, and the steps are detailed below. Be ready to print the web pages you accessed. So be sure you are connected to a printer.


STEP 1

To obtain a free copy of your credit report, go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com

NOTE 1: It is important that you use the above link to get to the correct site.
You will be providing sensitive information (e.g. your Social Security Number and date of birth) in the process of getting a credit report.

There are many other sites that take advantage of this fact, and tries to pass off as the above site. A few of such impostor sites are motivated by CRIMINAL intentions. So, be careful.

NOTE 2: Where and when you can, you should access the site with your own personal computer (as opposed to a public computer) using a wired connection or an encrypted wireless connection.


On the first page, select the appropriate state. If you grew up in California, then select California. If you did not, then choose the state in which you most often use credit.

Example 1: If you lived most of your life in Seattle, Washington, but you have applied for most of your credit cards in California using a California address, you should select California as the state.

Example 2: If your parents live in Seattle, Washington, and they allowed you to use their credit card, then you should select Washington as the state.


After you have selected the state, click the button “Request Report”.



STEP 2

The next page should read “PLEASE PROVIDE ALL OF THE PERSONAL INFORMATION REQUIRED BELOW”.

Enter your personal information.

NOTE: Check the box to indicate that you want no more than the last four digits of your Social Security Number to appear when you view or print your credit report.



STEP 3

This page asks you to select one or more of the consumer credit reporting agencies.

For this assignment, choose Experian only.

Click Next to continue.



STEP 4

This page says “Click NEXT to continue. You will be transferred to the Experian site.”
It tells you how to return to the AnnualCreditReport.com site.

Click NEXT to go to the Experian site.



STEP 5

This page asks you for the last four digits of your SSN. Enter the digits and click Submit
The next page asks if you want to buy a credit monitoring service. There is no need to do so. Scroll down and click the grey button “Annual Credit Report”.
The next page is an order summary. Click on the link “Terms & Conditions”. Read it. Then check the box, and click the red button “Submit”.


STEP 6

You may be asked to answer certain questions about your credit history. So, give the right answers and click Submit.

STEP 7

At this point, you are getting your credit report. This page will show a summary of your report. Print out this page.

Next, look at the right side of the page, and click on the link “Print your report”. This will open a new page with your full printable report. Print out this full report.

Congratulations! You have obtained your credit report from one of the credit reporting agencies.



STEP 8

Study your report. Become familiar with it.

Pay attention to errors in the information.
In particular, if the report states that you have potentially negative credit information, make sure that the information is indeed correct.



STEP 9

For the assignment, write a brief report answering these questions:

1. Are there any errors in your report?
If there are, what type of errors are they? (e.g., wrong spelling of your name, wrong address, credit cards you do not own, etc.)

2. From studying your credit report, what did you learn that was surprising?
Write a paragraph or two or more describing what you learnt.


Be ready to talk about these and other issues in the laboratory session.

forgot?

is there no discussion today?

Group think and transactive memory

Groupthink is the idea that when people come together to collaborate, more people can only mean more chaos. In the context of gaming, if people are working together as a team playing a video game, the more people there are per team, the more difficult it is to work together efficiently. It's necessary as a team to collaborate on strategies and work together in order to win. With war games, working as a group is difficult because of the need for communication, and very often the game would be easier and more effective if the individual played alone on his side. Groupthink forces communication which can be cumbersome in the real time world of gaming.

Transactive memory on the other hand, is the idea that collaborating as a group is more beneficial than working alone because each person can offer information to the group. A person alone is limited to what he knows, but in a group, each member can contribute to the group to make up for an individual's lack of knowledge. This is particularly important in strategy type gaming. An individual can miss certain strategies, but when there are other group members involved, many more choices come up. Transactive memory uses the group as a strength, relying on each member's contribution of their knowledge.

Groupthink, transactive memory and gaming

Groupthink refers to the idea that group communication falls apart under pressure. This leads to irrational decision-making and impaired judgment. This concept especially occurs when people are alike, this is a problem since a decision will quickly be accepted by everyone and not thought through or an alternatives considered. In a groupthink-gaming situation, the group comes to a consensus on their gaming tactic, answers, and solutions. Unfortunately, in these settings, pressure is often the reason for rash and often times irrational decisions. However, the groupthink approach uses collaboration to come a decision in order to avoid an argumentation outbreak. For example when playing a group game, certain time guidelines are included in the rules. Answers need to be presented before this the time limit is reached and groupthink approaches coming to an answer by collaborating to come up with a resolution. Often times, however, analysis tactics, and testing is overlooked due to the possibility of conflict arising.

Transactive memory is when members of a group have different expertise and knowledge that they offer to the group when coming to a decision. This idea acknowledges group members as select individuals that can serve as external memory to help their team come to a resolution. Because every individual brings different information to the table, the group benefits from every member expertise. Of course, the group communication improves when every person is aware of one another's specialty. Consequently, in a gaming situation, with a little bit of knowledge collected from every individual, the group is able to piece together a solid answer, resolution, or solution to a problem to ensure a solid win. Because every member of the group recognizes that each member knows something that another doesn't, the group is open to strategies, suggestions, and sharing important information with other teammates during a gaming situation.

Group Think and Transactive Memory

Group think, in relation to surveillance, can be understood through a series of tests that were done involving a classroom. An experiment was set up to test the effect of group think. One hundred students in a geometry class were given a simple multiple choice problem to solve (i.e. evaluating the length of lines, determining which among a given set was longest).  Everyone in the class room was in on the experiment and told which line to choose, even though it was obviously not the longest line. Two students in the group were "ginny pigs" and were not told which line to choose. When asked as a whole group which line was the longest, 98 students raised their hands to answer incorrectly and as a result the 2 "ginny pigs" answered incorrectly due to group think. It was obvious the line chosen was not the longest, but this experiment shows the power of group think. It also shows the detrimental effect it can have on decision making when the answer is wrong and vice versa for a correct answer. 

Transactive memory involves group processing whereby people in the group are better able to recall information due the contributions of others. Individuals in a group are able to recall individual memory storage from a collective group of information. Much like open source software and computer gaming, everyone who can access the program can contribute to the betterment of the game or program. This may be seen as a downfall to some, as the information or final analysis is not based on one individuals observations but by the observations of many. Transactive memory serves many and is a community oriented process, and is a successful process, as the exercise in discussion last week proved, in gathering a pool of knowledge.  

Groupthink and transactive memory

Groupthink is a group dynamic that can develop in which consensus is encouraged and any sort of conflict is avoided. An obvious problem with groupthink is that decision making can have more to do with powerful personalities than convincing argument or well thought decision-making. People tend to take the path of least-resistance, and so an idea that might seem illogical or even dangerous to someone outside the group could appear perfectly rational in the context of the group's stifled discussion. When I was thinking about surveillance and groupthink, I was reminded of the book 1984. The groupthink that was so prevalent in that society was tied directly to the heavy surveillance that permeated society. This is a danger in our own society, as well, though hopefully not the extent of 1984. The government has admittedly been engaged in more surveillance in the last 7 years, and the concern with that is that it will discourage open discussion about things that might not be deemed "appropriate" in mainstream society.

Transactive memory refers to the types of grouping of memory that members of a group engage in. Different people in a group possess different areas of specialized knowledge, and people within groups can help other members remember facts by triggering memories with their own knowledge. This sort of system can be efficient, because it allows for a greater depth of knowledge in a group. More knowledge can be packed into a group. On the other hand, if transactive memory is going to be relied on, there needs to be familiarity with other members of the group, because otherwise, there could be huge and important holes in knowledge.

Groupthink and transactive memory
groupthink allows consensus to be reached through the path of least resistance: individuals only argue over issues where there is disagreement. people may give in to pressures from the rest of the group when there is conflict, which explains how it is possible for a group that possesses the right answer from one person, to get the wrong answer overall. Groupthink can't be greater than the sum of its parts: the group may get more answers correct than any one individual, but there are things that nobody in a group knows, so those issues won't ever get resolved. the web 2.0 solution is to get everyone involved: the more people who contribute, the more knowledge. in terms of fact-based or objective standards, this gets outcomes that are better and have more information. however, subjective things like 'which of these photos is best?' usually don't work well with groupthink. Flickr has a feature called 'explore' which selects the most interesting photos based on algorithms that point to which photos receive the most attention from the most users. what this tends to do is select photos that oftentimes have limited artistic merit but appeal to wide audiences: photos of kittens or scantily clad women. more serious photographers on flickr dislike 'explore' because it doesn't reward artistic merit, but rather mass appeal.

Transactive memory is a way by which an individual is able to remember things in a group setting that they could not have on their own. it's like when something jogs your memory: someone says a fact that you wouldn't remember off the top of your head, but it causes associations in your brain to kick in and cause you to remember things. it can also happen when someone says a statement like "all Xs are Ys". you might not have ordinarily remembered it as being true, but when mentioned, you might remember learning that all Xs are Ys.

Group think has its advantages and disadvantages. As demonstrated in class, working in a group allowed us to pool our knowledge together to come up with solutions faster and more effectively. In the professional context, groupthink has similar effects, getting the same job done in a more efficient manner. At the same time, individuals in a group are less likely to go against the grain in order to keep the group dynamic somewhat stable and conflict-free. Sometimes, conflict is necessary in order to produce positive change and this is less likely to occur in a situation where individuals must compromise and cooperate in order to get something accomplished. In the context of surveillance, individuals will usually submit to the groupthink mentality as a way to support the government's role in providing security and rooting out unnecessary conflict. However, it is necessary to question the implications of groupthink in this situation. Going back to the idea of the panopticon perspective, people who know they are being watched subconsciously behave differently in fear of doing something that might be interpreted as suspicious (this happens on the internet since people are aware of the surveillance that goes on; hence the reason for spyware).

Transactive memory works in a similar fashion since the focus is on the collective body, not the individual. This is why study groups are so effective, since students can pool together class notes and have access to more resources than if they were to study individually. This concept is inherent in gaming and seems to have fewer negative implications than the idea of group think.

As mentioned, the purpose of group think is to reach a consensus among the members without conflict. Therefore, the members don’t critic and evaluate others ideas so that arguments do not arise. Although this could lead to groups making decisions that are not necessarily the most thought out by all the individuals, it may present new ideas and information to a member who was completely unaware of it previously. Group think also leads to a spiral of silence where an individual might not give their suggestions or opinions because they feel they are in the minority.
This idea of groupthink applies to the games Digg and Urn. The rules for Urn are “There are two indistinguishable urns. Urn ‘W’ has two white balls, one yellow. Urn ‘Y’ has two yellow balls, one white. A proctor will flip a coin to choose an urn. You must guess which urn it is after seeing one ball from the urn AND AFTER HEARING ALL THE GUESSES OF THOSE BEFORE YOU. Your goal is to choose wisely.” People make decisions based off of the others responses and even may choose to ignore their own information. They may forgo the decision that they would have made if they had not heard the other responses. In this game the majority of people conform to what others do and say. Digg is basically an online version of Urn, where “measuring a story’s importance is based on a semi-random set of people voting for or against a semi-random set of news stories.” Information is given to the voters by following a web of links of blogs. After people see the other blogs they tend to follow what they have to say because they think the previous voters are rational in their decisions.

Transactive memory is based on expertise and how people tend to focus on areas they have more knowledge about and rely on other people in areas that they have more knowledge about. Andrea Hollingshead notes that “rather than trying to learn and remember all information relevant to their daily tasks themselves, members simply ask the designated expert on a need-to-know basis. Transactive memory develops naturally as a way to reduce individual cognitive effort and to provide group members with a larger pool of information.” Members must be familiar with the other’s strengths so that they can allocate certain areas to each member appropriately. In interactive games, this can be beneficial when a group member lacks the ability to do a certain task that another member is much better at. For example, any interactive online game that allows separate tasks to be done by different people each person will work on the area that they are most knowledgeable about without ever having to work on other areas. This way the group can win the game or strengthen the abilities of the characters more efficiently.

Online Gaming, Group Think, and Transactive Memory

Group think is a type of thought that develops from groups of people thinking and working together towards a resolution. The end result of group think is a consensus reached with as little conflict as possible. The fault with this type of thought is that for the sake of avoiding conflict, the group forsakes critical testing, proper analysis, and consideration of alternative options. Group pressure causes individual members to suppress dissenting opinions. Hence, the consensus reached is generally hasty and irrational, and does not maximize the knowledge of each individual in the group. In terms of online gaming, group think comes into play in strategy games like World of Warcraft where a group works together toward a common goal. Members feel compelled to go along with the group's plan though they might feel a different approach would work better or know something the other group members do not. Hence it can decrease a group's chance of success in the game and leave players feeling frustrated.

Transactive memory theory presents the idea that individuals can serve as external memory aids to each other. That is to say that information one could not recall working individually could be recalled if that person was working with a group of people. Since each person brings his or her own knowledge and expertise to the group, the group's collective knowledge increases. The goal with transactive memory is to enable the group to reach a higher level of performance than they could have without the contribution of the other group members. It relies on the members to have a good understanding of what each member knows and brings to the group. For online gaming, transactive memory can be very helpful. Each member can aid the group to be more successful by combining his or her own knowledge of the game with the knowledge of the other people in the group. Working together allows them to accomplish more and learn more because the responsibility and knowledge is spread out among the group. In order for transactive memory to be effective and not become group think, there must be a cooperative environment, familiarity between members of the group, and a non-hierarchical structure so that each member can contribute openly and honestly.

Group Think and Transactive Memory

Group think is a gathering of people who make decisions based on the amount of conflict that it will cause, meaning the "group" will do anything to avoid conflict. Thus, due to avoiding conflict many thoughts and ideas are not heard because people will think of themselves as foolish, or just "different" from the other within the group. An example of group think was the attacks on Pearl Harbor. These attacks could have been stopped, however the US chose not produce conflict and thus in the end had conflict brought towards them.

Transactive memory involves a group that uses each individuals memories in order to receive specific quantities of information. For example, when studying for a test a group relies on different individuals memories from class in order to complete the study guide and hopefully earn an "A" on the next exam.

Group Think and Transactive Memory

Group think is when a group thinks collectively while trying to minimize conflict. In order to do this people tend to shy away from sharing viewpoints that run outside of the group’s ideas and mindset. This can lead to many problems. It may lead to making decisions without careful consideration of outside problems. For example, a classic case of group think is the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. The people in the group ignored warnings and problems in order to reach their goal; resulting in ultimate disaster.
Transactive memory is a process in which people remember within groups. A person is able to rely on others memory for different pieces of information. This can be useful in games such as Memory. When played in a group against another group. If a person on the team is not able to recall then another group member may hold the other piece of information in order to complete the task.

Group think and surveillance, Transactive memory and online gaming

Group think is a decision making process characterized by the agreement on a solution reached by a group of individuals with the least amount of conflict possible. Often times in group think each individual does not need to postulate at his full capacity, or disclose all of his ideas to the entire group, as he relies on other group members to contribute and does not wish to express a minority opinion that may cause conflict within the group. Group think can be applied to the concept of surveillance, particularly a historical example. During the Cold War U.S. intelligence struggled to determine whether the USSR was harboring nuclear weapons both in their own nation and in Cuba, as they threatened they had. The presidential administrations at this time were very muched focused on the containment of communism; therefore many high profile officials and politicians would "go with the group" as they did not want people to think that they themselves were communist sympathizers. Therefore we flew spy planes, unauthorized, over the USSR and Cuba, and there was a huge scandal when the Soviets discovered our surveillance. This is one example in which group think may be ineffective, as it allows fear to drive a lot of decision making.

Transactive memory is also a group process, but each member only remembers a certain amount of important information pertaining to the problem, so the group all together can remember everything needed to solve the problem because each person brings his or her own knowledge to the table. This concept applies to online gaming in that each player brings a specialty or set of knowledge in playing the game. When players can communicate with one another via audio or text (like in World of Warcraft, Command and Conquer, etc.) they can share tips, strategies, troubleshoot, or even share cheat codes with one another to play the game more effectively. Each person does not have to be an expert player to receive expert player results because of transactive memory.

Groupthink, Transactive Memory and Surveillance

Groupthink is a process in which members of a group adopt and enforce similar ideas without questioning the implications or practicality of them. In any situation involving a number of people working together toward a common goal, there are bound to be disagreements or differences in opinion. Groupthink occurs when people stifle their objections to group decisions for fear of upsetting the group dynamic, which can result in grave consequences. This idea can be applied to the implementation of surveillance devices. Hypothetically, if the government set up methods of surveillance in private places, it could instill a great fear among the population. People would constantly be monitering their behavior and changing their way of life to correspond with government policy for fear that if they did not, they would be caught and punished. This could have serious consequences, for it puts the population in a position of complete submissiveness.

Transactive memory is a process that occurs when members of a group supply pieces of information to solve a problem or come to a conclusion. It is very effective and operates under the notion that multiple people working together and sharing ideas will produce a better result than one person alone. If the government used surveillance to collect information rather than oppress and punish people, it is possible that a positive outcome could result. The surveyed public could provide the government information that it would not have known otherwise. The government could then create policies using the information they collected that would benefit society.

Group Think and Gaming

The idea of group think is understood to be individuals working together for the common good, but also relying on these others to come to a consensus. In a group think situation the majority of the group usually does not have to put in 100% of their creative thought or effort because they think that someone else in the group will make a profound conclusion, so that they will not have to. Group think can be related to gaming situations; many people game in groups, either all sitting together in one room, or playing together but communicate through headsets while they play remotely. In these group think gaming situations there is usually one or two people that take charge to make decisions of how to play, where to go, etc. while the other members of the team might add their ideas but ultimately go along with what the others say.

Furthermore, gaming can also be related to transactive memory because this is when not everyone in a group needs to remember every aspect, but each member retains certain pertinent information they will be called on later to convey this. In terms of gaming, each member of the group can remember certain tactics or maneuvers and recite these when needed, but it is not required for every member to remember each element of the game.

Group Think and Gaming

The idea of group think is understood to be individuals working together for the common good, but also relying on these others to come to a consensus. In a group think situation the majority of the group usually does not have to put in 100% of their creative thought or effort because they think that someone else in the group will make a profound conclusion, so that they will not have to. Group think can be related to gaming situations; many people game in groups, either all sitting together in one room, or playing together but communicate through headsets while they play remotely. In these group think gaming situations there is usually one or two people that take charge to make decisions of how to play, where to go, etc. while the other members of the team might add their ideas but ultimately go along with what the others say.

Furthermore, gaming can also be related to transactive memory because this is when not everyone in a group needs to remember every aspect, but each member retains certain pertinent information they will be called on later to convey this. In terms of gaming, each member of the group can remember certain tactics or maneuvers and recite these when needed, but it is not required for every member to remember each element of the game.

Group Think and transactive memory

Group think and transactive memory are both very interesting processes that rely heavily on the group and not on the individual. Group think discourages expressing personal viewpoints and encourages consensus thinking. People engaged in group think are somewhat glazed over because everyone is relying on the other to come up with an idea. Transactive memory on the other hand is where people remember things in groups. Each person doesn't need to remember everything the group as a whole needs to know.
Group think and transactive memory both apply to the context of gaming in groups. The responsibilities of gaming can and are distributed throughout the group. The individual isn't thinking, the group is. In group think the individual is actually using less of their brain power than if they were working independently. In group gaming transactive memory is also applied. Certain members of the group would have to know different material than the other half. Group think and transactive memory are not only present in gaming but are also present in the classroom and in professional careers. They always say that two heads are better than one.

Group think and transactive memory as it applies to the birth of wide-spread gaming

Group think is very prevalent in the context of gaming when it comes to how the world of online and virtual games came about. There are many games that spurred from initial games. People improved the code of games, left the games on shared computers, copied the games to their computers, and shared them with even more people. Essentially, there was a common attitude toward the games (everyone enjoyed playing them), and so everyone worked together to expand the world of gaming into the empire that it is today.

Transactive memory, where people tend to remember certain things in groups, applies in the context of games, as well. Whereas one person may be better at knowing and remembering information about internet networking, one person may be better versed at programming. Other people may be more knowledgeable of the business or design aspect of gaming. Once all of the people get together, work, and bounce ideas off of each other, everyone contributes the knowledge that they have stored in their memory. The end result has also led to the expanding world of gaming.

Group Think and Transactive Memory

Group think, aside from allowing group members to reach consensus on decisions through minimal conflict without overanalyzing, simultaneously causes individuals to refrain from sharing their viewpoints for fear of looking unintelligent, embarrassing oneself, or challenging another group member. Because less input is offered, the cluster of people that employs group think typically forms illogical and impulsive thoughts, since they want to feel accepted and cooperative. Group think specifically applies to any instance in the context of gaming where there are distinguished teams with group leaders, because the tendency is to blindly follow the leader in hopes of satisfying the individual and serving as a team player. Just like the Challenger Space Shuttle or Bay of Pigs examples, the players on the team do not want to suggest anything negative or create any opposition with the powerful people in charge.

Transactive memory, which is a theory that delineates how individuals complement each other in groups by remembering different pieces of pertinent information, serves as an effective memory system because the several individuals act as aids to each other. Though it requires more complexity and planning, transactive memory will most likely prove highly beneficial, because individuals cannot retain as much information as a group of people, however small or large. This process also applies to the context of gaming with teams, because if, for example, a scavenger hunt is taking place, it is much easier for the team to memorize objects, know different locations, and remember certain pieces of information. If a team challenges an individual in a scavenger hunt, the team has the advantage of having more resources and will be correct the majority of the time. In a team, individuals only need to concentrate on a limited number of things and are responsible for much less information, whereas the individual can only rely on him or herself.

Transactive memory - Gaming

There is a game on Shockwave.com that is called InkLink. The basic premise is similar to Pictionary; that one person is the “drawer” and they have to draw the secret word and the other players must guess the secret word. It’s an interactive game and you play with people from all over the world. In the game, all guesses are public so you can see what your competitors are guessing. Oftentimes, seeing one of your competitor’s [wrong] guesses jogs your memory and leads you to think of the correct “secret” word.

The theory of transactive memory is based on the idea that individual members can serve as external memory aids to each other. This is present because even though you are not playing in teams, you benefit from the ideas and knowledge of your competitors when their incorrect guesses help you eliminate wrong answers and often lead you to the correct one.

Instructions for next Friday

HI, all

Basically, I would like you to apply the idea of group think and transactive memory to one example either in the context of gaming or surveillance

Please post a two paragraph analysis on the blog by next Friday.

If you would like to explore more of the theory, please read Andrea Hollingshead's articles, she's a professor at Annenberg, you should be able to find her articles on the school webpage

Fight on!

Exam guide

hey, guys, this is the most updated exam guide, I'll add more points if any more info comes up.
Work hard!

Exam 2
1
Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC)‏
ENIAC Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator
MIT Whirlwind
UNIVAC: Universal Automatic Computer I
What are the characteristics? What are the inadequacies? Any famous applications?

2
Intel, Microsoft, Apple, the establishing stories
The facts about Intel 4004 microprocessor
How is apple I an improvement over the Altair? Basic traits of Altair, who created it?
Why did Microsoft DOS become the dominant operatinf system over Kildal’s CP/M
What is a ‘killer app’


3 Know your amazon story in Ben’s lecture

4 What does BIOS do? Know the basic function of the key parts of a computer(hard drive, random access memory, operating system, motherboard)

5 facts about GUIs, what it does

6 difference between freeware and shareware

7 WYSIWYG, how if helps with text editing

8 what’s a corporate model? What’s Gate’s position on software(implications)

9 What is a source-code? Why is the access to it important? You could bring in the google initiave as your supporting material.

10 What is the difference of Web 2.0, what are its characteristics?(explain each point with concrete examples)

11 What are criticisms of Web 2.0? explain each point with concrete examples

Instructions

Okay, guys, here is the instructions for the assignment due on Friday Please only explore one theory and cite it properly


Go to YouTube. Search for and view the video “A Vision of Students Today.”
(Or use this link, if it works: http://youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o )

Note carefully the points held up by the students in that video.

Choose and take note of the three most interesting points, and respond to them.
For example, one of the points was “18% of my teachers know my name.” Respond with your answer.

Review also the comments to the video. There are more than 6,800 comments. Your instructors will let you know which comments to read.

Take down what you think are the most important arguments.

Think deeply about the ideas or issues or themes that you find most relevant or interesting. Come to discussion session ready to talk about these.

At the end of the discussion, write a 2 page paper reflecting on your experience as a college student today, focusing on the ideas, issues, or themes you noted and discussed.


Political economy of the media:
How culture is produced; what happens to the work of culture when it is produced, disseminated and accepted

Screenwriters, backstage (Goffman), talk about creative producers

A maximal and minimal interpretation
Adorno specific analysis of particular product
Williams in order to see distinctions, cultural materialism

Subculture, style politics, use resources offered by dominant culture, contre-strategy,

Assignment 2 instructions?

Fan,
Can you post the instructions for Assignment #2, please? There aren't any on blackboard. Also, is the due date is Friday March 28th or April 4th? The assignment sheet says the 28th but i thought you mentioned that it was due in april.
Thanks!
-Morgane

11am Session, Free Debater

I lost my my voice that day so I wrote everything I wanted to say, and here are some of them:

Side 2 Debater explained that the government puts a lot of money in to the education system, but U.S.'s education ranking is still low which means it is the student's fault and not the technology.

- I wanted to say that how are student's different in the U.S. than maybe the student's in U.K. who have a higher ranking? Are U.S. students brought up to go on facebook in class? Maybe the money the government is putting in isn't put in an effective area. Technology can definitely help students concentrate more and learn more, we just need to know how.

Side 1 Debater said that sometimes students aren't lazy, but they couldn't keep up with the school work, which is how they don't do well. Professers just assume you are lazy.

- But this is also why we have to apply to Colleges, and colleges accept you if your competent for this particular school's workload. Also there are a lot of review sessions, SI, TA's you can email or help you can get from departments. It is still the student's fault if they lack behind and don't try to get help.

One of the other free debaters said: Students don't listen in class because they think the subject the learn in school are not relevant in life, even though it is. This is the student's fault.

- I don't think this shows the point that it is the student's fault. It actually shows the education system is flawed. It should evolve to make sure the students to be more engaged and understand that the stuff learnt is relevant to later career and life.

10:00 AM class (first speaker)

Side 1: Our Educational systems are falling behind the tech trend, we should improve it

The video demonstrates how our educational systems are falling behind the technology trend. Clearly, students have easy access to technology, such as personal computers, and are eager to use them. If professors were able to integrate computer use into lectures, students may spend less time checking email and Facebook during class. This could be done by logging computer time, creating in-class assignments exclusively for computers, or issuing online quizzes.

Also, students today want to feel as if they are interacting with someone or something. New technology may help professors move away from dull chalkboards and PowerPoint presentations and toward a more interactive medium.

Some of these ideas may seem farfetched when you consider adjusting our educational systems campus-wide, across the country. However, universities and professors could come up with ways for every student to be able to afford the equipment and technology needed to be involved in these courses.

On the issue of textbooks, material could be made available online so that students wouldn’t have to spend as much money on hard copies of textbooks. Blackboard is a good example of what I think is the beginning of our educational systems moving forward with the technology trend. It creates another way for professors and students to connect (besides email, phone, and in-class discussions) and gives students access to documents (PowerPoint lectures, assignments, etc).

Side 2, Free Debater

I was a free debater for the "student's responsibility" side who jumped in and made comments. Here are some of the points I made:

Students need to help themselves, through organizing student-for-student type workshops or seminars that teach us how to use our technology effectively, how to multitask, and how to time manage so that we do not find ourselves wasting our time with our technology rather than utilizing it properly.

I also took a more utopian standpoint on technology, saying that I felt all the necessary tools for student success exist right now, it is simply the perogative of the student to rely on himself or herself, rather than the professor, university, or government (public school systems) to help us, because we can't afford to rely on others in this day and age when it comes to our education.

I added that at times it may even be adventageous to consciously not use our technology if we think we will waste our time on it rather than use it properly. For example, in big lectures I choose not to take my laptop and use a more traditional notebook. Yes, a waste of paper, I know, but it saves me from spacing out by working on other things, checking e-mail or facebook, etc.

That's pretty much the gist of my argument.

Side 1: Concluding Debater

For my discussion, I served as the concluding debater for side 1. Here are some of my main points:

- Every child in America needs 21st-century knowledge and skills to succeed as effective citizens, workers, and leaders in the 21st century

a. If our technology is so good and advanced, then why do we STILL have millions of illiterate children in the world?

b. Every child needs literacy, basic communication skills, problem-solving skills, and awareness of the world.

c. We can use technological concepts, such as the $100 one laptop per child, but that is still moving slowly and there have been bumps along the road where it was too expensive or not plausible. We need to constantly improve technology to make these laptops and resources cheaper and available and widespread not just in America, but around the globe.

- There is always something that needs to be improved

- You cannot just say that our educational system is perfect and blame it on the students

- If our educational system was perfect, then no one would be complaining and everyone would have a quality education and be literate.

- Students can adopt a lazy attitude, but what about students in less fortunate circumstances who do not have access to technology or who cannot even afford electricity to power basic luxuries like computers that we take for granted?

a. Technology has been on the rise, and does answer many problems, such as making searches and contacts readily available with ease, but I’m arguing that many people do not have sufficient means to this technology because it is still too expensive.

Hope this helps for Assignment 2!

debate 11:00

can i be either a judge or a free debator for side 2??
-sunmee

still not recieving emails

This post is for Fan- I was sick last friday so I didnt attend class and I am still not recieving emails so I'm not sure what is going on with a debate? If you could please email me klcrabtr@usc.edu and let me know what I can do that would be great. thank you
-Kelly Crabtree

Marie's side

Hey, I need to be on side two, free debate in the 10-11am session. (My assignment had a little sun on it). Thank you, sorry I forgot to post that info earlier!

updated debate info

HI, all:

Here is what I got based on your posts on the blog and adjustment, for those of you who haven't posted, please add your name to the slots that are still open now and email me back by tomorrow.

If you are put to the wrong session, please let me know too

Thank you!

10-11am session
Side 1
First debator Dustin Free Debators Not known yet Fourth Debator Ashlie
Side 2
FIrst Debator Catwise Free Debators Kevin and should be two more Fourth Debator Not known yet
Judge Stephanie Ariadne Ashlee

11am-12pm session
Side 1
FIrst debator Daniella Free debators NOt known yet Fourth Debator Michelle
Side 2
First debator Kyle Free debators Whitney, Monica, Chunete Fourth Debator Britney
Judge Alyson, Morgane Katie Nick

10 AM discussion

I've got side 2, free debate.

Debate

I am against the students and for the teachers

debate position

1 (2 minutes) - illustrate main arguments. With a sun.

Debate

Side #2 please
Thanks!

Judge for the Debate

Last week, the paper I picked up had a J on it so my role for the debate is a judge :)

I would like to be a judge.

Alyson

Debate Role

Hi, Fan, I'm in the 11am-12pm section and would like to be a first debator for side 2.

thanks,
Kyle McKenzie

Debate Side

I am in the 11-12 class, but I was wondering if I can attend the 10-11 class. I have a midterm at 12 and we never finish at 11:50 and don't want to be rude and leave during the debate. If you would prefer I can still go to the 11-12 class. I would like to be a judge or a free debator for the educational system is failing.
Thanks,
Daniella Griffay

My role

Hi Fan,
I'm in the Friday 10-10:50 am section and my role is the judge.
Thanks, Ariadne Chucholowski

Debate

I'd like to be a free debator for side 2

Thank you

I would like to be a judge!!! Thanks

11-12pm session

I would like to be on Side 1: Our Educational systems are falling behind the tech trend, we should improve it.

Thanks,


Michelle

Debate

I would like to be a judge, please. Thanks

friday debate

I would like to be the first debater.

- Dustin Lawrence

Monica Rodriguez

2 (free debate) 15 minutes.

Monica Rodriguez

Class Debate

Fan,

I would like to be a judge.

Thanks,
Katie

INSTRUCTIONS ON THE DEBATE NEXT WEEK

HI, all, here are the instructions:
PLEASE! Post on the blog your role in the debate so I could keep track on that.

Side 1: Our Educational systems are falling behind the tech trend, we should improve it
SIde 2: Students are not making enough efforts in studying, they should not blame the educational system but improve their own learning skills.

FOr the 10-11am session
Those with 1(2 munites) on your paper is the first debator of Side 1,
Those with 1 and a sun on the right corner is the first debator of Side 2
2 minutes illustrating key arguments, prelude for the free debate time

Those with 2 are free debators for side 1
Those with 2 and a sun are free debators for side 2
15 minutes, arguing against each other, attacking the invadility of the arguements and examples of the other side

Those with 4 are the last debator for side 1
Those with 4 and a sun are the last debator for side 2
3 minutes, conclusion and final chance to attack weak points of the other side

Those with J are judges, your have two tasks, right comments on those debators' arguements, jump in during the free debate time to help whichever side you favor. Then make final decision on which side wins.

For the 11am-12pm Session:
Please choose your role from the above, post it on the blog, I'll adjust your preference afterwards and post the final list on the blog.

THIS WIll be part of your credits for assignment 2

Look forward to your brilliant performances!

Best
Fan

Debate

"2 (15 minutes) free debate"

The Video

I feel that the video offers a viable argument against the contemporary educational system. More importantly, I feel like the video touches base with the frightening reality of the postmodern age: individuals (especially students) participating in the demise of intellectual endeavors through their lack of desire to learn and ascertain the knowledge of generations before. However, I do feel that there is hope for such a mindset and the video does not represent a ubiquitous theme for all schools.

Unprepared Part II

Another important thing that the video touched on was the cost of education. Now-a-days that cost of education continuously rises, but the quality does not rise with it. As we pay more and more for classes, they should consider using that money to bring some helpful new technology to the classroom. Considering that many kids facebook through most of their classes, I'm not just referring to new computers. They need to find a way to make lectures more engaging and useful.

Thoughts on eduation video

This video about the current university education system is thought-provoking. While I agree with much of the issues touch upon and relate to them, I think ultimately it comes down to students taking individual responsibilty for their educational experience. We have the world at our fingertips and I think a majority of the time, we, as students, do not tap into the many resources that have been made available to us. So, while I think this video is accurate in its portrayal of the life of a student in the classroom, I do not think we stuck or in a hopeless situation, in fact we are in a rich environment here at USC.

Unprepared

Major flaws in the education system are exposed in this video. Our education system does not parallel the real world working life, and the way that classrooms are run today only prepares us for standardized testing. Advances in technology can be seen in many aspects of life, except the classroom. As others have already said, the biggest leap we have made in the classroom comes from those little clickers that only some teachers use. It is very unfortunate that we are not learning life long skills in many of our lecture halls.

vision of college students

This video was very thought-provoking. I think all students who watch this video completely understand the lifestyle it is talking about. However, I believe that whether or not it truly inhibits our learning experience is up the the student (especially if statistics like this are coming out of the woodwork). I don't think the situation is a bleak as the video suggests.

YouTube video clip

I think that his video is really powerful. At first I didn't really know what to think of it, but then I started seeing myself in the facts and statements that kids were posting. It is unfortunate that children now-a-days go to school and do not learn anything. For example there was a girl that help up a sign saying that she would be in $20,000 debt due to school loans when she's done graduating. To imagine that people go through college goofing on off on their laptops and buying books but never reading them and then on top of that spending thousands and thousands of dollars on tuition is rediculous. Maybe it is our educators' fault for not teaching us how to learn or correctly use our technological devices (that are supposed to help us progress). However, I think that it is also our fault for not acting or listening to our eductors.

College and Technology (video)

I think the video raises some good points, especially about the disconnect between the expectations of professors and the performance of students. It is difficult for students to stay focused, especially in large lectures, when there are so many distractions available at the click of the mouse. Though it might be difficult in some circumstances, I think professors would connect better with their students and students would be more interested in course material if more of a personal relationship was established between them. A decrease in class size or a requirement of attending a specific number of office hours could help bring students and teachers closer together, and increase a student's dedication to his or her coursework. While we cannot stop technological distractions from entering the classroom, we can change current teaching techniques to minimize the temptation to multitask during classes.

I facebook in Class

I'm a bit late to the party here, but I really agree with Stephanie Hawkins.
The typical college model has not changed enough to keep up with technology. the closest I've seen is clickers in some classes, but other than that, the only difference is professors use powerpoint instead of writing on the chalkboard. most of us don't give our complete and undivided attention in class, and with powerpoint as standard lecture format, who could blame us?
the way some teachers use technology to teach is to prepare a lecture and go through it. the lecture has a direction that is pre-planned, so its not exactly conducive to relevant tangents. the way we use technology is more interactive. facebook, myspace, email etc. are all forms of disseminating information that is relevant as well as interactive. therein lies the clash.

YouTube Video

I found the video very provoking, and I liked this comment:

stormbreezemidnight: Are they blaming anyone? I think the point of the video is to look for ways to better the education system. What is the next step forward for education and how can we evolve through technology? I think the video is very insightful on the student point-of-view. This has nothing to do with entitlement or whining, it was made by a teacher that understood his students.

I think this comment really gets at the heart of the video. The fact is that the educational system has remained largely the same in format while technology has evolved and changed the modern student. Technology has strongly influenced the minds of students, from how they learn to how they spend their time, etc. and it would be beneficial for the educational system to try and adapt to that. It is not a whiny bunch of students complaining about their situation, but rather someone taking the time to examine the situation, point out discrepancies, and using this media to probe for solutions. However, I do not blame the education system for the failure of students to learn. At some point, the student must take the initiative to fill the gap. We have so many more resources available to us now, thanks to technology, and it comes down to the student to make use of them if the educational system does not.

What I think is the message of the video

I thought this comment did a good job on summing up the meaning of the video:

So many people are missing the point of this video. It is not about whining and complaining. It is about how the world of a student has changed. It's not that they are being lazy, they do TONS. That's what the video was emphasizing. We, as educators, have to meet them. We can't expect them to come to us. It's easy to sit back and say, "If they don't learn it's their fault," but if we don't try to stay on their plane then we have failed them. We've asked them to stay in the past, with us.

I agree with this comment on the meaning of the video. Yes student do other things like email, facebooking, and talking on cell phones but I don't think that makes them lazy. You can still learn and succeed in your life without giving up having fun. People who cut themselves off from the world and retreat only into books are not necessarily the ones that succeed in life. Having people skills and socializing are important skills, but we have to make sure we learn as well. The students in the video also acknowledge that there are poor people out there that have harder lives so I don't think the movie is about complaining but about reaching a middle line with teachers. I definitely have some professors who think that their class is the only one that matters and give out insane amount of work that no student ever fully completes cause they have other work to do.

Youtube Video Clip

There is a lot of truth in the video clip. Although technology in a lot of respects has made our lives more luxurious, it has made it much more impersonal at the same time. The average class size is 115 people and 18% of teachers don't actually know their students first and last names. I find this to be a huge failure in our educational system. Classes should be more personalized and more tailored to the individual. America's educational institutions are producing students that behave like machines. In this case technology has failed to serve the educational system.

Video clip

I found this comment interesting:

Yes there are problems with education systems all around the world, yes learners can be disenfranchised by what is on offer to them but on the whole the western world has it easy. The so called 'problems' made me choke on my super sized egg Mc Muffin. If the students in the video put the same amount of effort into learning that they do into socialising they might leave college and become better teachers for the next generation.

because I understand what they mean, but I also think they're missing the point a little bit. I think there's even an acknowledgment that these problems can't compare to the problems of poverty and education in other parts of the world, but that doesn't mean the problems are insignificant. I think the larger point is that technology has changed the way students interact with each and spend their time, and that the educational system needs to acknowledge that and work with it in some way.

Video

I think this partly reflects upon how some students may be emotionally unprepared for college; they dont have the motivation to learn. That we graduate high school and immediately go to college has become such a cultural law. I think that most of us would feel mildly like a 'failure' if we didnt go straight to college. So when the students say that they dont go to class, open a textbook, or pay attention in lectures, it shows a lack of motivation to learn. is this technology's fault or today's culture?

video clip

ok, so i understood everything i read, but all in all, what was the point? i mean, was it just to show how technology has made students lazy? professors lazy? that we're not learning anymore because of technology? i dunno. i mean, all the little notes they held up made sense, and i think they're real issues we can address, but yea... ok, it was just weirdness for me as whole.

YouTube: "A Vision of Students Today"

I enjoyed watching the video clip and found myself identifying with many of the points illustrated by the students in the video.

I liked the comment from afireinside13t, which states:

"Was this video meant to comment on the quality of a university education? To me it was just a reflection of the laziness of the students involved. Once you've made it to university, it is not the job of the teacher to motivate you. That responsibility lies firmly on one's own shoulders."

It brings up an interesting point that I agree with.

I would like to know what the overall message of the video was meant to be

For next Friday

Hi, all, for next week, please watch the video on youtube

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o

students today

and read at least one page of those comments, come up with some ideas, this will be your second assignment, I'll talk more about it in class

Best
Fan

review questions?

Do technological features guarantee success in terms of widespread acceptance? Why or why not?

When was this covered in lecture?
What other impact does printing have on society and psychology?

What are the key organizing principles of new media technology?

How do these organizing principles affect individuals subjected to them?

yeaaa teamwork.

Readings......

Let me know if i am wrong, but I am making sure I've got the main points of the readings:

Pacy: technical, cultural and organizational aspects are not always complementry when the technology is placed outside its orginal enviroment. ie. snow mobil, water pump

Joys: technology will take over, though this can happen several different ways: gradually, mergeing with the technology, submission, dependency. some efforts have been made to digress technology, but not nearly enough, and not quickly enough.

Winner: the workplace technology creates (postoffices dont actually recive the real letters), social separation, interaction of humans and technology - utopian and dystopian.


ok. well if someone can elaborate on the Winner reading, and perhaps a bit more on the the Joy reading, as those were both very long. Just main points, and a few examples wouldn't hurt anyone.

Thank you!

Not Receiving Emails

Fan,
I haven't been receiving any e-mails from you for the past few weeks.
My e-mail is: lemarcha@usc.edu
Thanks,
Morgane

Where is the Winner article

I have read the other two reading but I can't find the Winner article in the book we bought from the university village. Is this reading online?

XO laptop Competition

This is Intel version of the OLPC called the classmate for $250 http://www.classmatepc.com/

the Winner article

after about page 2, I read through it without really understanding it. I think we've all done the same thing with books required for English class.
I'm not sure exactly what points from the article are most significant.

What is the dystopian view of dominance of corporations? How does surveillance take its form?

questions

What is characteristic of one principle about the economics of information?
What are the characteristics of the cyberpunk genre of science fiction?
(i know he went over in class, but could we go over it again?)

Exam questions

What is the dominance of economic logic and its consequences in relationship with dystopian ideas?

Midterm Questions

First of all thank god that Ben put the study guide in PDF format!!! :)
1. What is a switch and why is it important for digital technology?
2. what are the two problesm that empires must deal with per innis???
3. Gray Goo scenario

Exam question

What are the three aspects of technology shown in the article written by Pacey 

“Technology: Culture and Practice” beyond simply what was elaborated on in lecture? Is that important?

Question

What is GIGO? What are its advantages and limitations?

Exam Question........

How do the characteristics of technology affect the experience (when the content stays the same)?

Utopian/Dystopian Revision

Here is the article I used for my presentation:

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/diet.fitness/01/13/biotech.food.one.wmd/index.html

The article discusses the pros and possible cons of genetically modified crops. In a utopic sense, genetic engineering has the ability to increase the nutritional value and the taste of certain foods and use less toxic chemicals in farming techniques. Dystopically, adding certain substances to food may increase the risk of allergic reactions. Furthermore, these new "superfoods" may overtake farmland, providing a case where humans lose control of the technology they created. Personally, I think the decrease in toxic chemicals is wonderful, but tampering with the nutritional content of foods that have provided adequate nourishment for millenia is a risky endeavor.

Uto-Dysto-pia: Equilirbrium & Robot Technology: PART 2

This is the article i used for my presentation:

A San Francisco Chronicle article offers insights into discussions among roboticists and computer experts at Stanford's Technology in Wartime conference. The researches have gathered to "consider the ethical implications of wartime technologies and how these technologies are likely to affect civilization in years to come". Among the topics discussed was whether scientists can create war robots that behave more ethically in battle than human soldiers. One scientist recommended that roboticists who are asked to work on a military project make sure they support the goals of the organization and that they will be able to publish their research. Ronald Arkin noted that the Pentagon is determined to create war-fighting robots, so it's up to socially responsible scientist to make sure the robots are given ethical self-control. Peter Asaro countered that "scientists should not dignify what he considers the naive notion that robots can be programmed to kill, but only in an ethical fashion." He believe robots should not be allowed to make autonomous "killing decisions".

Utopia & Dystopia

I just read up on this new technology that the FBI will use in order to better identify criminals and terrorists. I would think that this new database is an example of a utopian step into the future.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/02/04/fbi.biometrics/index.html

My dystopian technology advancement is genetic engineering. I found an article that was published in WIRED magazine titled "Will Genetic Engineering Kill Us?" It think that this question is an important one that we should concern ourselves with, because it just might...
http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2003/04/58467

Utopia - Dystopia

Utopia:
Technology has the potential to alleviate suffering worldwide. One such technology is a machine that can make water out of air. It was created to "ensure sustainable water supplies for U.S. combat troops deployed in arid regions like Iraq." This machine would reduce the cost of transporting water to troops from $30 a gallon to 30 cents a gallon. The potential uses for this technology are limitless! It could be used for relief following natural disasters, not to mention that it could easily provide clean drinking water to those who do not have access to it, like in parts of Africa.
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/10/71898


Dystopia:
How far will people go when designing online communities? One can understand the pros of networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, but what are the benefits of a online suicide blog? The creator of an online community sharing tips on how to commit suicide was arrested "for allegedly killing a woman who paid him to do so". It cannot be good for society that sites such as these are readily accessible to anyone, including children, who have access to the internet.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2007-10-11-2236019483_x.htm

Technolgy to Create a Utopian World

I found this website and thought it was a very interesting website to say the least. The website http://www.bltc.com/index.html is for this company BLTC Research whose mission is to use technology to abolish the biological substrates of suffering. Not just in humans, but in all sentient life. They state that the blueprint for a Post-Darwinian Transition to a cruelty-free world is conceptually simple, technically feasible and morally urgent. At present, life on earth is controlled by self-replicating DNA. Selfish genes ensure that pain and malaise are endemic to the living world. For BLTC Research to create this lifelong superhealth and a cruelty-free world they state that the third-millennium bioscience allows them to:
rewrite the vertebrate genome
redesign the global ecosystem
deliver genetically pre-programmed well-being

They then go on in other pages to talk about Utopian surgery, Superhappiness, Future Opioids, and so forth. This is a world I dont think is particularly possible or ethical. Say that our technology eventually does lead us to a time where it is possible to rewrite the vertebrate genome or deliver genetically pre-programmed well-beings. First off this company is not only planning to manipulate Human DNA but all Vertebrate animals in life. So we are not only messing our lifes but those of other animals (PTA would have a field day on this one). Then there is the deliver genetically pre-programmed well-being. Has anyone seem GATTACA? I think people really have to decided sooner or later if the power to play god with technology is a responsibility they want and if they are ready for the consequences. I am a bio major and do research so I am for technology but not if it goes to this level that this company wants to take it.

Utopian & Dysutopian

"Challenge Authority, If You Dare"

http://www.latimes.com/business/careers/work/la-fi-workrules5feb05,1,5866405.story

This article is about encouraging employers to question their superiors about the business and push back if they don't like the answer, which will earn you respect. Being able to question authority in the work place is consistent with uptopian. However, if you get punished for speaking up in the workplace, than that is consistent with dysutopian. This article discusses both situations.

New HIV Vaccine CNN Article

Utopian example:
This HIV vaccine sounds amazing and really gives me hope for the future of HIV/AIDS research!

New HIV vaccine concept may extend hope to those already infected

BALTIMORE (CNN) -- Creating a vaccine against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has proven to be a tricky task. But a group of researchers is expressing excitement about a new approach that may also offer help to those already infected with the virus.
Shortly after someone is infected with HIV, the virus produces a protein called TAT, which binds to healthy immune cells and uses them to reproduce HIV. Without this protein, HIV can't reproduce in the body.
Now, scientists hope to use this information to create a vaccine that could not only prevent infection but also possibly help control HIV in those already infected.
"By vaccinating against TAT, you would inactivate TAT. You would block it so the immune system wouldn't be so impaired, and you would be better able to fight the virus," says Dr. Robert Gallo of the Institute of Human Virology, one of the researchers working on the study.
Other scientists say while the approach sounds promising, the research is still in the early stages.
"Theoretically, it makes sense," says Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health. "But there are a lot of things that make sense theoretically that when you practically try them, they just don't work."
Dr. Daniel Zagury, of the University Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, has done several clinical trials with a vaccine called TAT toxoid.
"The experiments in animals showed that the TAT toxoid was fully safe, well tolerated and induced antibodies in very high levels to antagonize, to neutralize the TAT that is reduced by infected cells," he says.
Last year, the first large scale HIV vaccine trial was launched, which is still ongoing. It could be years before the TAT vaccine is tested in large numbers of people.

Pros and Cons of a Technological World

Utopian aspect: This article was written for the Economist, and it talks about virtual reality and the new applications being developed for this technology. While widely used in video games, companies, academic institutions, and others are considering new, serious uses for virtual technology. Virtual worlds could be used in training, management, and collaboration. However, before these new applications develop, the legal problems that have plagued virtual technology used in video games must be considered and addressed.

http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10202591

Dystopian aspect: Since we discussed the evil corporation that is Wal-mart in class, I found this article from Time magazine particularly relevant. Wal-mart has created its own brand of in-store medical clinics, which means a whole new set of local businesses for it to close. Personally, I'm not inclined to go to Wal-mart for my medical check-ups.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1710749,00.html

Dan Rather reports: Toxic Trailers for Hurricane Katrina Survivors

The paragraphs below are from an online transcript of Dan Rather's show on HDnet. The show is an investigative report about how temporary trailers that FEMA gave to Katrina and Rita victims were made with formaldehyde, a chemical that is toxic if you're exposed to it too long. The part I pasted on here is just the lead for the news broadcast. Sorry it is in all capital letters, it came that way (and the middle paragraph is about John McCain, sorry the broadcast covers two different stories). If you'd like to read the entire transcript, here's the link:

http://www.hd.net/transcript.html?air_master_id=A4558

Dan Rather Reports
Episode Number: 216
Episode Title: Toxic Trailers
Description: Some of the thousands of people along the Gulf Coast still living in travel trailers say formaldehyde used to build the campers is making them sick. Also, take a ride on the straight talk express as Dan Rather sits down with Republican presidential hopeful John Mc Cain.

Transcript:TONIGHT NO PLACE TO CALL HOME I'VE NEVER BEEN WOKEN UP BY A SMELL BEFORE IN MY LIFE. AND I WOKE UP GASPING FOR AIR. THERE WAS A WINDOW RIGHT NEXT TO THE BED CAUSE IT'S SO SMALL. AND I WAS LITERALLY- LITERALLY TRYING TO BREATHE OUT OF THAT WINDOW. SOME OF THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDED CAMPERS FOR GULF COAST HURRICANE VICTIMS ARE CONTAMINATED WITH A TOXIC CHEMICAL. WHAT WAS INSIDE THAT CAMPER IS DEADLY. I CAN'T PUT IT ANY PLAINER THAN THAT.

ALSO ON THE ROAD AGAIN SENATOR STRAIGHT TALK. YOUR CAMPAIGN IS OFF TO A SLOW START - IS THIS THE START OF A COMEBACK IS THAT THE WAY YOU VIEW IT? WILL THE LAST STOP FOR THE STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS BE THE WHITE HOUSE? THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR AMERICA, AND WHEN I'M PRESIDENT IT WONT BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME. (APPLAUSE) A LOOK AT JOHN MC CAIN'S CAMPAIGN AND ARE THE VOTERS BUYING IT. IN JOHN MCCAIN'S PHRASE, "STRAIGHT TALK," IS YOUR VOTE GETTABLE FOR MCCAIN? IT'S ABSOLUTELY GETTABLE, YES.

TONIGHT ON DAN RATHER REPORTS GOOD EVENING. TONIGHT WE TAKE YOU BACK TO THE GULF COAST, WHERE THE DEVASTATING HURRICANES OF 2005, KATRINA AND RITA, ARE ANYTHING BUT A DISTANT MEMORY. NEARLY 90,000 FAMILIES WHO LOST THEIR HOMES IN THESE STORMS STILL LIVE IN WHAT WERE MEANT TO BE TEMPORARY SHELTERS- TRAILERS PROVIDED BY FEMA, THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. IT'S BEEN HARD FOR THE PEOPLE DISPLACED BY THE HURRICANES- PEOPLE FOR WHOM THE TRAILERS WERE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE A SAFE PLACE TO STAY WHILE THEY REBUILT THEIR LIVES. BUT NOW WE'RE LEARNING THAT SOME OF THESE TRAILERS APPEAR TO BE TOXIC. AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO MOVED INTO THESE TEMPORARY SHELTERS SAY THE TRAILERS HAVE BEEN MAKING THEM SICK- AND THAT FEMA HASN'T BEEN LISTENING.

The good and the bad...

Our world is obviously far from being a utopian reality, and as we move farther along in technology, it seems that our environment gets neglected more and more. So i decided to look up ways that people are making crosses between technology and environmental health.

I found a video on CNN (they don't have a direct url, but it's easy to find) about a man who invented a way of using algae as a substitute for fuel.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/tech
"Fuel for Scum"

I like to think of this as a utopian example, because even with all our fancy technology we can't exist without the actual world to live in. It's more of a step towards fixing the mistakes we've already made and trying to prevent others from happening.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2008/01/17/delacruz.internet.survey.cnn


On the dystopia side...
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2008/01/17/delacruz.internet.survey.cnn

The first part of this report talks about the concerns people have with online privacy. As technology becomes more advanced crime advances with it. People are feeling anxiety because of fears of identity theft and other internet crimes. It's a good thing we're coming up with technology like botox because there are more wrinkles to fix now :)

Uto-Dysto-pia: Equilirbrium & Robot Technology

When talking about a technological Utopia and Dystopia and class there was one thing that immediately came to mind: the movie Equilibrium. If any of you have seen it please comment. It is a movie about a future society that has the developed the technology to eliminate all human emotion. Everyone takes it because they believe that it will bring peace and end all wars. Though it is successful in bringing peace and extinguishing hate, people forget that they are left without any creativity or love. i believe that the movie shows good examples of both a utopia and a dystopia. Although its not exactly about robots taking over or anything, it shows us what can happen if we develop technologies that go too far. I am posting a link to the youtube movie trailer:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5rCA5Ed1390

I am also posting a link to a website that updates people on the latest news in robot technology. Its weird that society is trying to constantly develop robots that are more and more human like. We want to make robots that can learn. But what will happen when we do?? I know things like ASIMO are far from being human but why do we want to make them so smart?

http://robots.net/

Utopian and Dystopian Technology

Utopian technology: Advertisers are likely to rely on YouTube as an affordable and easily accessible outlet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/business/media/05adco.html?ref=technology


Dystopian technology: Ebay is rewarding big sellers and forgetting about the little guys, turning themselves into the Wal-mart of the internet.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/the-end-of-ebays-egalitarianism/index.html?ref=technology

Sorry!  It didn't attach the article, but here it is: 

http://www.cio.com/article/166153/IBM_Expects_Billion_in_India_Revenue_This_Year

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/02/06/microsoft.ads.ap/index.html

This article discusses the new ways in which advertisers are going to place ads specific to personal searches. They use keywords to personalize the advertisment seen on individual's computers. Also, they are developing voice recognition for videos online so the advertiser can put ads relevant to what a person is watching on the screen next to the video. Microsoft is also introducing techonology that has the ability to time the ad so that it is placed at the time it would least interfere with the video being watched. In some ways this is useful because the only ads a person will see will be relevant to their perferences. However, it is also a little scary how much information advertisers are getting from a person unwillingly by knowing what a person is searching for or watching online.

Technology Dystopia... Outsourcing.

I found a really great article in Business week about outsourcing and company that is working to use outsourcing, while also create jobs in the U.S., but it was REALLY long.  So I decided to use this one instead..

The article discusses IBM's profits from outsourcing in India, which, obviously IBM views as a good thing.  However, it doesn't mention the fact that because of outsourcing, many workers are losing their jobs.

The bad side of technology... internet stalkers :(

Please go to this website to view article: http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080111/OPINION
/801110340/1015

You always have to take the bad with the good. As use grows of the Internet and other technologies, such as cell phones, fax, computer spy ware and even GPS systems, they have been appropriated by stalkers. The more and more technically advanced we become, the more opportunity there is for the rejects of society to leek through.

The good side of Techology... Check free deposits!

People can now scan their checks from home instead of waiting in long bank lines!!! This is a clear technological utopia. Fiserv's CheckFree invention is similar to online banking. Instead of waiting on long bank lines to deposit checks, this technology allows the customer to scan and deposite their checks from the comfort of their own home! This technology is catching the eye of more and more banks. Soon check free deposits will become common.

Please go to this website to view article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/wire/chi-ap-wi-scanningchecks
,0,1777982.story

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/the-sun-powered-hydrogen-toy-car-is-here/index.html?ref=technology

In my mind a part of a Utopian society includes the introduction of new technologies as well as the ability to conserve resources. This article discusses both. The release of this solar powered and hydrogen fueled "toy" car is just a taste for what is to come in the near, yet most likely distant future. However, with new technologies like this we are not only conserving energy, but are well on our way to creating a possible utopian technological world.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A04E0DE113EF93AA35752C0A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2

This article examines a new virtual-reality game called There in which people can create avatars and live in a highly-realistic virtual world through the use of a computer.  The utopian side of this cutting-edge technology is that allows people with similar intersests to interact within the game and meet new people.  The game also provides a window of oppertunity for the disabled to experience things such as physical exercise and other activities that they would not have the chance to do in real life.  The dystopian side of this game is the fact that it draws people in-doors and discourages actual physical activity, replacing real-world interaction with a key-board and a computer screen.  Furthermore, the development of this game raises questions of how much virtual reality is too much and at what point does it create the danger of replacing the real world with an artificial one.

Dystopia-- Is the FBI going too far?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/02/04/fbi.biometrics/index.html

This article brings to light the controversy of a new technology or even panopticon that the FBI is attempting to employ. Instead of just taking into account a criminal’s fingerprints, they now want to look at scars, tattoos, palm prints, and even the iris of the eye. The FBI says that this will greatly help narrow down those who are guilty of crimes, while, opponents say that this is an invasion of privacy. Critics also say that while the technology may be accurate, there is too big a possibility for human error when using the technology.

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/02/secretive-surve.html

This article discusses a technology that the FBI uses in order to retrieve a persons personal data from their computer. It is not only scary that one is able to hack into your computer and steal your identity, but it is flat out wrong.

Utopia

Wow, talk about taking a pill to save your life! Except, this pill is only pill sized and is in reality a camera. Reading this article kind of reminded me the matrix picture that Lee had in his last lecture with the red and green pills in that dude's hand up on the powerpoint. Nevertheless, this new technology demonstrates some of the advances in health and science that can lead to a longer and improved quality of life-- check it out!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/02/07/camera.pill.ap/index.html

The limits of leapfrogging

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10650775

the article talks about technologies and the developing world. in a utopian sense, its great because it allows people to get connected and communicate more easily. in a dystopian sense, it doesn't matter how great technology is if the people can't use it. a lot of developing countries lack the basic infrastructure they need to get new technologies going. many new technologies that come out rarely make it to the market, only reaching about 5% of the population if the techologies do make it out to the people. looking at the new techologies and what they can do often takes one's attetion away from getting the basic infrastructure first.

Utoptia/Dystopia in our society today

Facebook fraudster 'stole prince's ID'

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/02/06/morocco.identiity.ap/index.html

I felt that this article exemplifies how a utopian side of technology, Facebook(as described in class) can actually fall into the category of a dystopian side as well. Facebook connects people through messaging, interests, and even photgraphs; this site is somewhat private with individual email addresses and passwords to login, and the ability to send private messages to others without evidence of that accessable to others viewing ones page. This seems like a utopian side of technology, but what if someone tapped into anothers private page? This is exactly what happened with Prince Moulay Rachid, when someone hacked into his private page. This exemplifies how a utopian side of technology can also prove to be a dystopian side. In a dystopia there is a sense of survellience, similar to what the hacker was aiming to achieve.

Utopia/Dystopia

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=leapfrog-toys-teach
Toys that Teach, but Turn Parents into Big Brother

Basicaly the situation is that Leapfrog created a handheld device that allows kids to placy educational programs disguised as games to promote development and encourage the learning in younger generations. The Utopia of the situation is basically parents utilizing technology to teach kids. Although kids think they're merely playing games they could be building skills which are used in maths, sciences, and the development of geometric logic. At the same time the article addresses the potential Dystopia of the situation - big brother. With parents able to check up on their childrens progress and actions while using the toy, parents begin to assume the big brother position. In this case technology serves as a tool for parents to moniter kids, and later on for individuals to moniter the masses - a reference to George Orwell's 1984. Although the toy and its similiar technology remain neutral, they have the potential to lead to technologic Utopia or Dystopia depending on how they are used.

If you can build it, we can blow it up.

Sometimes I feel like we try too hard.

We keep building bigger and better guns, pouring thousands and millions and billions of dollars into the war machine while the world as we know it begins to collapse upon itself. I don't understand how we can justify wasting money on destruction when we've already destroyed half the planet. Do we really need to kill that extra army? Do we really need to get that bigger gun?

What scares me the most is the quote from the Chief of Naval Operations : ""I never ever want to see a Sailor or Marine in a fair fight. I always want them to have the advantage".

It's war, not a Saturday morning soccer match. How can we even begin to classify destruction as progress?

Obviously I don't have any answers to these questions, but it's food for thought.

Utopian/Dystopian Articles

Google Software Makes It Easier to Share:

Utopia: This article discusses how Google just upgraded their software program to make applications cheaper and more readily available for businesses.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iX5FCYMVDPPaLfHwr-9Y68EbpbHAD8UL93I03

An Impassioned Roar Against Online Excess:

Dystopia: This article discusses how the internet has become a convenient means of technology that centers around trivial matters and recycles, rather than creates, information.

http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-ca-webscout3feb03,1,4780807.story?ctrack=2&cset=true